Project Kitty Hawk
Project Kitty Hawk reported $40.4 million in revenue and $29.9 million in expenses for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $60.80 went to program services, $38.80 to management and general costs and $0.40 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 61.1% of the total. Government grants made up 61.1%. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $490,479 (FORMER CEO). 12 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Source: Form 990, FY2025.
Where $100 of spending went
The fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $30MFor context, the median across 5,499 covered education charities: $85.56 programs, $13.59 management, $0.85 fundraising (medians computed separately, so they may not sum to $100).
Where $100 of revenue came from
The fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 · Form 990, Part VIII · total revenue $40MThe 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | FY2025 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 60.8% | 84.4% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 38.8% | 13.4% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 0.4% | 0.8% |
| Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h | $0.00 | $0.04 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 61.1% | 19.1% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 61.1% | 1.1% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 34.4% | 69.9% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $490,479 | $331,578 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 1.64% | 1.28% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 12 | 8 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 20.1 | 13.3 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 9 of 9 | 100.0% |
A median is context, not a target: hospitals, universities, food banks and grantmakers spend in very different ways. What these measures can and can't tell you.
What the money paid for, in its own words
FY2025 · Form 990, Part III · the three largest programs by expenseThe organization has continued services at east carolina university, north carolina centeral university and appalachian state university.a. Marketing and admission: attract and engage prospective students, increase awareness of programs and drive enrollment through targeted marketing and student recruitment.b. Student services and support: provide ongoing assistance to help students navigate their education experience through coaching, 24/7 technical support, mental health services and on-demand tutoring services.c. Faculty services: attrach and retain talent by providing professional…
Highest reported compensation
FY2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section A · roles as filed; names are in the filing, not here| Role | From this org | From related orgs | Other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FORMER CEO Former, 40.00 hrs/week | $478,078 | $0 | $12,401 | $490,479 |
| CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $415,836 | $0 | $28,436 | $444,272 |
| VICE PRESIDENT OF TECHNOLOGY Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $282,452 | $0 | $18,926 | $301,378 |
| CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $281,164 | $0 | $17,031 | $298,195 |
| VICE PRESIDENT OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT & STRATEGY Key employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $261,923 | $0 | $21,254 | $283,177 |
| DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS ANALYTICS Key employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $261,923 | $0 | $18,016 | $279,939 |
| VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS Key employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $255,923 | $0 | $12,794 | $268,717 |
| VICE PRESIDENT OF STUDENT EXPERIENCE Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $226,923 | $0 | $26,484 | $253,407 |
12 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from Project Kitty Hawk (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $3.3M (Part IX, line 5).
4 filings since FY2022 (7 mo.)
Form 990, Parts I, VII, IX and X · each row is that year's own filing, linkedGovernance answers, as filed
FY2025 · the organization's own yes/no answers; explanations, if any, are in Schedule O of the filing · what each means- Voting board members, and how many are independent Part VI, lines 1a–1b9 · 9 independent
- Audited financial statements Part XII 2bYes
- Conflict-of-interest policy Part VI 12aYes
- Whistleblower policy Part VI 13Yes
- Document retention policy Part VI 14Yes
- Independent process for top executive pay Part VI 15aYes
- Board given the 990 before filing Part VI 11aYes
- Family or business ties among insiders Part VI 2No
- Aware of a significant diversion of assets Part VI 5No
- Excess benefit transaction with an insider Part IV 25aNo
- Loans to or from insiders outstanding Part IV 26No
- Lobbying, or a 501(h) election in effect Part IV 4No
- Over $15,000 of professional fundraising services Part IV 18No
- Over $10,000 of activity outside the U.S. Part IV 14bNo
- Employees Part I, line 568
Correct a figure or respond
Every number above is copied from Project Kitty Hawk's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for Project Kitty Hawk, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
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Of every $100 Project Kitty Hawk spent in FY2025, $60.80 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
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Similar-sized charities in this cause
- Caliber Public SchoolsRichmond, CA · revenue $40M · programs 87.8% · FY2025
- Bethany CollegeBethany, WV · revenue $40M · programs 79.1% · FY2025
- Arkansas Connections AcademyBentonville, AR · revenue $40M · programs 93.1% · FY2025
- University School of NashvilleNashville, TN · revenue $40M · programs 83.1% · FY2025
- Mount Mary UniversityMilwaukee, WI · revenue $40M · programs 76.6% · FY2025
All education charities · Largest charities in North Carolina
Questions people ask
How much of Project Kitty Hawk's spending goes to programs?
In the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, Project Kitty Hawk reported that 60.8% of its $29.9 million in expenses went to program services, 38.8% to management and general and 0.4% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does Project Kitty Hawk pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation Project Kitty Hawk reported for one person in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 was $490,479, for the role of FORMER CEO (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does Project Kitty Hawk get its money?
Of $40.4 million in revenue in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, 61.1% came from contributions and grants (including 61.1% from government grants) and 34.4% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is Project Kitty Hawk a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 87-3871908 as a 501(c)(3) organization (publicly supported organization (170(b)(1)(a)(vi))), and its records show contributions as tax-deductible. Form 990 filings on record here cover tax years 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024. A filing shows what the organization reported; it doesn't by itself show whether a program works.
Sources
- FY2025: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, object 202611249349302336 · read the filing · XML
- FY2024: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, object 202521129349300402 · read the filing
- FY2023: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, object 202440519349301104 · read the filing
- FY2022 (7 mo.): Form 990 for the 7-month short period ending June 30, 2022, object 202341389349300704 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 87-3871908: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.